# Philip Roche — A General History of the Pirates character guide

> Philip Roche in A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Roche, Captain Roche

**First appearance:** 0021-an-account-of-the-piracies-and-murders-committed-by-philip-roche-etc

## Snapshot

An Irish sailor who seized a ship, renamed it twice, and drowned a passenger begging for mercy in the dark.

## Who they are

Roche begins as an ordinary seaman who, with his confederates, murders a ship's company, drinks their rum, and elects himself captain over a vessel he rechristens the Mary Snow. His cunning runs to forgery and disguise — erasing the dead master's name from the papers, tearing down St. Peter's image for a lion, and inventing a storm that never drowned anyone. What makes him chilling is the calm practicality of his violence, and how long he manages to pass as a legitimate merchant before the law catches up.

## Relationships

### [Edward Low](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/edward_low)

_professional_

Roche was a pirate captain who allied with Low for joint operations against merchant ships.

## In the story

### [An Account of the Piracies and Murders Committed by Philip Roche, etc.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/an-account-of-the-piracies-and-murders-committed-by-philip-roche-etc)

The principal villain, an Irish-born sailor who orchestrated the murder of the French crew and later attempted to claim insurance fraudulently.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/philip_roche
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters